Winter, 2013 Volume #13, Issue #2-3 President's Column Editor's Note
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Winter, 2013 Volume #13, Issue #2-3 ISPS-US P.O. Box 491 Narberth, PA 19072 [email protected] Editor’s note—Dec. 2013 Ross Tappen President’s Column Brian Koehler PhD This is the first ISPS newsletter New York University since last Winter – your editor apolo- gizes for the delay! Hence we have a As I sat down to write this column as president for our ISPS-US Newsletter, the double issue containing abstracts from words of Charles Dickens from “A Tale of Two Cities” (1859) came to mind: “It both the recent New Jersey confer- was the best of times, it was the worst of times.” In regard to the latter, the daily ence and the Chicago conference. national, local and international news are heartbreaking. It is so sad to see so Both the Chicago and New Brunswick many people around the world dying from wars, civil unrest, famine, poverty, conferences represented the depth and poor medical care, etc.In the United States, despite the improving economy, the breadth of our organization. There gap between rich and poor is significantly widening. There are people living in the were in depth panels and papers on NYC shelter system who despite working one or two full time jobs cannot afford theoretical issues from a variety of housing. There is a startling rate of poverty in NYC in our children (around theoretical frameworks; there were 30%!). Every day on my walk to my office in downtown Manhattan, I see an ever familiar faces from previous confer- growing number of young people camped out on the city sidewalks holding signs ences; yet there were also a number of asking for donations for needed expenses. From the early 1970s, I worked in presenters that were new to the con- homeless shelters on the lower east and west side of Manhattan, as well as Har- ference, and brought welcome diver- lem, as a volunteer and I have witnessed the growth of homelessness and what sity. The differing emphases of Chi- appears to be serious psychiatric symptoms in many of these individuals. Our cago and New Brunswick were clear in health care and social service systems are woefully inadequate. In addition, many the tone set by the respective honor- of the most well trained and experienced mental health professionals avoid work- ees and kenote speakers: Danielle ing with persons with significant psychiatric symptoms. Bergeron, Jim Gottstein, Debra Lamp- shire and Daniel Fisher. Closer to home, I see the effects of interpersonal conflicts and the avoidance of The issue also contains a word working things through within our own ISPS-US group, e.g., on our listserv. The from our President, Brian Koehler, as latter has been an invaluable resource for many of us since Joel Kantor initiated it well as news briefs concerning recent many years ago. Lately, dialogue is sometimes broken off (or not initiated) rather decisions by the Executive Commit- than people respectfully and honestly speaking their minds and continuing to tee. There is a literary supplement as make the listserv a safe, informative place for the exchange of views, knowledge, well: poems by Derick Adams and resources, etc. I particularly like the words of Gandhi: “Be the change you want to Mary Lou Tornes, and an article on a see in the world.” This is a plea for our members for greater responsibility, hon- poetry writing and appreciation group esty, empathy, and importantly, humility. I would hope if a member has offended by Paul Saks, with poems by the mem- other members on our listserv, she or he would sincerely reflect on the effects of bers. I hope you enjoy the issue. their words, actions, etc., and apologize to those so hurt and offended. I hope that offended members will stay on the listserv in the dialogue, and start other discussions more reflective of their concerns. As Martin Buber said: “All real liv- ing, is meeting.” How can we help the people who come to us for help, if we can- not resolve, repair, etc., the disjunctions within and between our very selves. As the developmentalists and psychoanalysts have taught us, disruptions and con- flicts are inevitable, the important thing is to make honest and sincere attempts to “Innate among man’s most repair these disruptions. powerful strivings toward his Continued on page 2 fellow men… is an essentially therapeutic striving.” Harold F. Searles (1979) —ISPS-US Newsletter: Winter, 2013, Volume 13, Issue 2-3— 2 Newsletter submissions. Continued from page 1 I would now like to focus on the “best of times.” Having been with ISPS in the Submissions are welcome to the states before an ISPS-US came into being, and having participated in ISPS ISPS-US newsletter. The following events on a regular basis since 1994 (almost 20 years now), and having spent are some areas of particular inter- meaningful time with our co-founders, Gaetano Benedetti and Christian Müller, est. ISPS is very personally important to me, as it is to most, if not all, of our mem- bers. It gladdens me to see how much we have matured and grown over the years. I have depended upon members of ISPS for much needed support, guid- * Book reviews: Please consider ance, friendship, etc. It truly has been a good home for me and so many others. doing a review for one of your ISPS colleagues! And, as an incen- The annual ISPS-US conference was held in New Brunswick, NJ. It was ably tive, may I humbly suggest that if co-haired by Jessica Arenella and Lori Kalman, with support from Executive you want your own book reviewed, Director Karen Stern. The meeting was rich and inspiring, with a special em- please offer to review another’s as phasis on service user participation. I was happy to see a great number of our well, and the universe may be members there to learn, grow and help support this eminently worthwhile con- pleased to grant your wish! ference. *Newer members/early career con- Lastly, as also part of the “best of times,” I would especially like to note that the next international conference will be held in New York City March 18-22, 2015, tributions: If you are a newer mem- co-sponsored between ISPS-US and the School of Social Work at New York ber, 3-4 years or less, please con- University. The meeting will take place at New York University in the West sider submitting something. We Village, on beautiful and historic Washington Square Park. Our recent 2013 want to hear from you. international conference in Warsaw, Poland, was truly inspiring and successful (over 20 delegates came from the states). Service users were very participative at * The public sector: I believe this is the conference. I hope to see most of you at ISPSNYC 2015! a relatively neglected area for us. So many people work in the public In the spirit of ISPS-US NJ 2013 and ISPSNYC 2015, yours, sector, or receive services there. Is there something new, different, Brian Koehler better or worse at your agency, President, ISPS-US from your perspective as client or worker. * Lived experience: What have you learned about your own experi- In this Issue ences of madness and your con- tacts with others in that process. President’s Column: ...................................................................................................1 Editor’s note : ............................................................................................................1 * Education and training. Did you Newsletter submissions.: .............................................................................................2 attend a training or a conference ISPS-US Thirteenth Annual MeetinG outside of the ISPS-US that par- MakinG Contact with the Depths: Psychosis as it is Lived: .........................................3 ticularly impressed you? Let us Executive Committee News: .......................................................................................18 know. Looking forward to hearing from you! ISPS-US 14th Annual MeetinG What’s in a Name? ~Ross EmerGing Perspectives on the Intersection of “Schizophrenia” and “Recovery”: .............19 [email protected] The Eye with Which We Behold Ourselves Poetry Therapy in a State Psychiatric Center: .............................................................32 Poems by Derick Jay Adams: ...................................................................................33 Poems from I AM NOT AFRAID : .....................................................................34 —ISPS-US Newsletter: Winter, 2013, Volume 13, Issue 2-3— 3 ISPS-US Thirteenth Annual Meeting Making Contact with the Depths: Psychosis as it is Lived October 26-28, 2012 At the Chicago School of Professional Psychology 325 North Wells St., Chicago, IL 60654 ABSTRACTS (In chronological order) Friday, October 26 Daniel Mackler, LCSW-R, Film and Discussion: Open DialoGue The film Open DialoGue, by Daniel Mackler, will be screened, and he will lead a brief discussion of this and similar pro- grams in the world. Saturday, October 27 Keynote Address: Danielle Bergeron, MD, FRCPC, FAPA From Psychotic Experience to Civic Responsibility For the last 30 years, the psychoanalysts and psychiatrists of GIFRIC together with a multidisciplinary treatment team have risen to the challenge of treating psychotics elsewhere than the hospital and otherwise than with medication. Their clini- cal work consists in guiding patients from psychotic experience to civic responsibility. In order to work in this manner, they refuse the form of discrimination that consists of supposing psychosis to be a deficiency due to a brain disease. For the young adults who ask for treatment, the Center for the Psychoanalytic Treatment of Psychotics in Québec, the 388, offers comprehensive treatment apparatus founded upon a psychoanalytic practice that has been renewed with them specifically in mind. Such an approach opens a space in which it is possible to speak about experiences lived in utmost solitude, beyond the field of language, tormenting the body and dismantling the imaginary. To uphold a place within the social bond for a wish that haunts the patient’s unconscious, to give psychotics the freedom to think, to speak, and to act, in active negotiation with others—such is the objective of our work.